Find a New Favorite Appetizer

As the party invitations begin to flood in, or get sent out, the menus become the main focus for these holiday get-togethers. Whether you are throwing your own bash, or are invited to partake in the obligatory "Ugly Christmas Sweater" party, food is always high on the priority list.

Having some easy, keto-friendly, belly-filling appetizers to dazzle your guests, or hosts, with will go a long way in helping you stay in your keto-lane.

Not to mention, your family and friends will love you looking out for them as well.

I always default to my Spinach and Artichoke Dip because it is my “never fails to please” dish. And if you slice up some red peppers to go with it, you’ve got Christmas in a dish. Green, white and red - what could be more festive than that?

Another app I love, that’s even easier than my Spinach Dip, is my Cashew Curry Dip.

I needed something hummus-like (since I don’t usually eat traditional hummus because legumes tend to cause inflammation) so I experimented with cashews and hit it out of the park with this recipe.

If you aren’t a fan of curry, I’ve also made it with some roasted red pepper and it was amazing. I like a little heat with pretty much anything I eat so I added some crushed red pepper flakes to it, but that’s totally optional.

Any way you make it, I promise, you’ll become a raving fan, too!

These are just two of the appetizers I have in my cookbook. I like appetizers for parties, holiday dinners or even just to have so if I don’t feel like making a whole meal, I always have something healthy to snack on.

So, this tip really is all about the apps. Find some that you love and then get to sharing them with the people you love!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

Ingredients

2 boxes of defrosted and previously frozen organic spinach (make sure to use organic here because spinach is one those veggies that have tons of pesticides on them)

1/2 of a yellow onion, diced up

16oz of cream cheese softened (2- 8 ounce packages)

1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. olive oil

Chopped tomatoes to top before baking are optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400.

Open the spinach and wring it out in your hand so that you can squeeze all of the water out of it. Do the same thing with the artichoke hearts.

Put softened cream cheese, lemon juice, and ½ the Parmesan cheese in a food processor and mix until creamy.

Add the spinach, artichokes and onion into the food processor and pulse it all up until you have a consistent mixture. Add the salt and garlic powder and mix again.

Put the dip into an oiled baking dish, add the rest of the Parmesan cheese to the top, drizzle olive oil lightly and place in the oven (if you do add the tomatoes, make sure to sprinkle the Parmesan cheese and drizzle the olive oil after you put them on).

Bake for 30-45 minutes depending on how deep your baking dish is. You just want to make sure the middle is hot throughout.

I usually put the oven on broil for the last few minutes to brown up the top.

This recipe is great for being super low in carbs and high in fats and veggies.

For your friends or family members that aren't on the diet, they can use corn chips to eat this.

Cashew Curry Dip

Ingredients

1 ½ cups raw cashews

½ cup + an additional ¼ cup coconut milk

Juice of 1 lime

1 tbs olive oil

4 cloves of garlic

¾ tsp Himalayan pink salt

¼ tsp-½ tsp curry powder

Optional: cayenne pepper

Instructions

In a food processor or blender, add cashews and ½ cup of coconut milk. Mix until the nuts and coconut turn into a thick paste.